I have to admit that this new page is somewhat out of the ordinary for my site, but it is a piece of history and we all know that history is my favorite subject; next to Jeeping. So, the Union Pacific has kept 3 old time steam locomotives in working condition. They are the 844, The Challenger 3985 and the Big Boy 4014. These old engines are used for various events and are based in Wyoming. A special event last week, May 26, 2017, had the 844 in Ogden Utah after a special run to Boise Idaho. The train made somewhat of a circle by going to Boise then coming into Utah and spending the day in Ogden at Union Station. The train was on display for the day which allowed me to go there and glimpse the old timer for the first time. Being a mid-week showing, the line to see the beast was very short, plus we went early in case there was a line. This train is awesome. It is the smallest of the three engines but don't let that fool you. This thing is big. I was the last engine of this series delivered to the Union Pacific. As the diesel locomotives began to take over the companies freight and passenger service, it was sent to Wyoming where it hauled freight until the late 1950's. For reasons unknown to me, it wasn't sent to the scrap pile but stored away and eventually restored to serve as a piece of working history. Having had to work the day it went through the Bear River Valley, I did not get to see it actually run, but a quick search of Youtube will net you quite a few videos of it. Years ago, the 3985 Challenger was out on a tour and I was lucky enough to video tape it and see it do its thing. You can watch that video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4c_ym9f7pE .

Below is a small foto of some basic facts about the 844.

The Union Pacific 844, up close and personal

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There were several cars being pulled behind the 844. Some were passenger cars and some were actual machine shops on wheels. There are no spare parts readily available for the 844 so in times of need, so some minor repairs could be done where the train sits. I really wonder how much it would cost to ride the train on one of these excursions? I'll bet it ain't cheap but I'll also bet it would be worth every penny!

The cars behind.......

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